Bachelor of Science in Career and Technical Studies

Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Career and Technical Studies (BSCTS) is designed to prepare individuals with practical, marketable skills to successfully enter new careers or advance in their current fields.

As a 100% online degree completion program, BSCTS is designed specifically for working adults, so you can take classes while still balancing all of life’s other responsibilities. BSCTS also allows you to receive credit for your work experience, so you can apply your real-life skills to your studies and earn your degree faster.  

What can I do with a BSCTS degree?

Most students continue to work in their current field. However, you can do almost anything you want with your degree. A bachelor’s degree is valuable no matter what subject your student, especially a versatile major like Career and Technical studies. As California faces a shortage of almost a million college-educated workers by 2025, having a degree will open many doors for career opportunities and advancement.

“The flexibility of the classes allowed me to continue to work and learn skills that were applicable to my job. I was able to apply content I learned in class and the mentorship from instructors directly to my career and my life.” – Jon Wedding, Career and Technical Studies graduate 

Benefits

This degree program provides students with:

• the flexibility of online courses 
• the ability to utilize previous work experience for academic credit
• enhancement of job training skills
• pay scale mobility and professional status
• the opportunity to teach and train others about their life’s work
• a stepping stone to a graduate program
• experienced faculty
• further career possibilities

Audience

This program provides training for those who wish to facilitate the development of the emerging workforce in both traditional and non-traditional settings.

Past BSCTS graduates have followed their paths to become: 

• teachers in regional occupation programs, private post-secondary institutions, community colleges, correctional facilities and adult schools
• trainers and facilitators in public or private industry
• school and career counselors
• human resource recruiters and placement personnel
• mediators or labor relations specialists
• educational administrators
• school-to-work coordinators
• learning specialists
• administrators, managers and supervisors in public or private industry
• small business owners and entrepreneurs
• consultants in business, industry and education

Structure

BSCTS Program requires that students have seven years, full-time, paid work experience in a career technical/educational/business field (or five years, full-time, paid work experience and an associate’s degree in that field). More details on program structure and admissions details can be found here. 

This program is delivered completely online. If you live outside of California, click here to determine if Sacramento State has secured authorization or exemption to enroll students from other states in its online programs. 

Advising and Student Services

Academic advising and student support is critical to success in the BSCTS program and the program staff is committed to making success possible for each student. As a returning adult student, it can be daunting to find your way through the CSU system and the BSCTS staff is here to make that transition as smooth as possible.

The program offers personalized academic advising to guide students as they complete their bachelor’s degree at Sacramento State. It is important to stay current with your academic advising sessions and the BSCTS staff recommends scheduling an appointment once per semester. The BSCTS staff also offers assistance and acts as facilitators with other university departments such as Admissions & Records.

Licensure/Credentialing

Admission into programs leading to licensure and credentialing does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or credential. Licensure and credentialing requirements are set by agencies that are not controlled by or affiliated with the CSU and requirements can change at any time.

For example, licensure or credentialing requirements can include evidence of the right to work in the United States (e.g., social security number or tax payer identification number) or successfully passing a criminal background check. Students are responsible for determining whether they can meet licensure or credentialing requirements. The CSU will not refund tuition, fees, or any associated costs to students who determine subsequent to admission that they cannot meet licensure or credentialing requirements.

Information concerning licensure and credentialing requirements are available from Nicole Baptista, 3000 State University Drive, Sacramento, California 95819, or by phone at (916) 278-6007.